12 AAAAN
104-10326-10022 | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |

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WwW: RYBAT

MHENO:\97-9265318
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INFO: CE/BOGB, CEDORECORD, DCCE/BA, LIMITED, MDSX,
CE/BOG, CE/BOGBT, CE/BOGIS, CED/CIC (7/P}

PAGE 001
TOT: 3016102 SEP 97 DIRECTOR 522218

CONF: CE/BOGYA
ODPD, RYBAT, FILE, C/CE,

301610Z DIRECTOR 522218
TO: PRIORITY BELGRADE. :

FROM: LIMITED DISSEM CE/BOGYA INFO CE/BOGIS, CE/BOG, CED/CIC,

DCCE/BA

SLUGS: WNINTEL RYBAT
4

SUBJECT: TRACE RESPONSE - NIKOLA KAVAJA

REF: BELGRADE 20520 97 9106046

TEXT:

1. ACTION REQUIRED: NONE, FYI ONLY.

2. PER REF, HOS HAS CONFIRMED THAT NIKOLA ((KAVAJA)) IS THE
SUBJECT OF 201-0764698. PROVIDED BELOW ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE
EXTENSIVE NVTAG SOURCE REPORTING COMPILED ON KAVAJA OVER THE
[WEARS . BASED ON OUR REVIEW, THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS THAT KAVAJA
HAS EVER BEEN IN CONTACT WITH TOHIGHROAD. PER PARA 5 REF, BELOW

NFORMATION CAN BE SHARED WITH THE RSO AND COM .

FOLLOWING IS DRAWN FROM DIRECTOR 824658 DATED 17 FEB 84:

3.

A. NIKOLA ((KAVAJA)) WAS BORN 3 OCTOBER 1933 IN ISTINIC,

WUGOSLAVIA. “AFTER HIGH SCHOOL HE GRADUATED FROM THE YUGOSLAV

MILTTARY ACADEMY. BETWEEN 1947 AND 1952, HE SERVED AS A FIGHTER

PILOT WITH THE YUGOSLAV AIR FORCE, HOLDING THE RANK OF FIRST
LIEUTENANT. IN THE COURSE OF THIS SERVICE HE BECAME DISENCHANTED
WITH THE COMMUNIST REGIME AND WAS COURT-MARTIALED. HE WAS ACCUSED
OF BEING A MEMBER OF A SECRET ANTI-COMMUNIST, TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO OVERTHROWING THE COMMUNIST REGIME OF
*YUGOSLAVIA, AND WAS ALSO CHARGED WITH THE<ASSASSINATION>OF THREE
BORDER GUARDS (KAVAJA DENIED BEING GUILTY OF THIS CHARGE). HE WAS
FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED. TO EIGHTEEN AND ONE-HALF YEARS OF

IMPRISONMENT .

B. ON 15 AUG 57, KAVAJA ESCAPED FROM PRISON WITH ANOTHER
YUGOSLAV. THE TWO MEN CROSSED INTO AUSTRIA ON 21 AUGUST 57 AT
DOLINA RADONJA. THEY PROCEEDED TO SALZBURG AND TURNED THEMSELVES
IN TO THE POLICE. AFTER SPENDING 21 DAYS IN JAIL THEY WERE
GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM . >—-KAASIA> THEREAFTER WORKEDZAS A PAINTER
AND JOINED A LOCAL ANTI-GOMMUNIST ORGANT 2 2N IN AUSTRIA -HE=™
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FIVE DAYS LATER, SHE LEFT
HIM AND MOVED TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. HE HAS NEVER OBTAINED A
DIVORCE FROM HER, THOUGH HE CONSIDERS THAT THEY ARE SEPARATED. HE
REMAINED IN AUSTRIA UNTIL 15 AUGUST 61 WHEN HE DEPARTED FOR THE
U.S.

C. KAVAGA WORKED IN THE U.S. AS A PART TIME PAINTER FOR
VARIOUS EMPLOYERS IN THE PATERSON, NEW JERSEY AREA FOR NEARLY
EIGHT MONTHS. DURING NOVEMBER 1962, KAVAJA LEFT PATERSON FOR
CHICAGO, WHERE HE TOOK A JOB WITH THE SERBIAN NATIONAL DEFENSE
COUNCIL (SND). HIS DUTTES INCLUDED SUPPORT FOR THE EMIGRE
PUBLICATION "SLOBODA," AND ACTING AS CUSTODIAN AND WATCHMAN FOR
THE BUILDING. HE SAID A WATCHMAN WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE
COUNCIL CONSIDERS THE YUGOSLAV CONSULATE IN CHICAGO TO BE AN
ENEMY. AS PART OF HIS SALARY, KAVAJA WAS PROVIDED FURNISHED
QUARTERS IN THE BUILDING. KAVAJA REMAINED WITH THE SND UNTIL
DECEMBER 1963. FOR THE NEXT THREE _MONTHS_HE_SUPPORTED HIMSELF BY
PMT MG-ODD—JOBS_-RAENFENG |

a D. IN MARCH 19644KAVAJ DROVE WITH A FRIEND TO CALIFORNIA.
AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL IN THE LOS_ANGELES AREA, THEY WERE ASRESTED

FOR POSSESSION OF A .45 CALIBER AUTOMATIC PISTOL WHICH KAVAJA nab)
LEFT ON THE BACK SEAT OF THE AUTOMOBILE. }THE LOS ANGELES”POLICE
DETAINED-KAVAJA”FOR TWENTY DAYS RK LOCAL BUSINESSMAN WHO
INTERPRETED-AT/THE HEARING FOR £A INDICATED THAT fAYATA} WAS
“CRAZY AND A LOUDMOUTH," WHO WAS INTENT ON KILLING CASTRO. AFTER

HIS RELEASE FROM JAIL HE RETURNED TO CHICAGO, AND THEN TO PATERSON

TO WORK ON OBTAINING HIS CITIZENSHIP.

ge. \un OCTOBER 64 HE RETURNED TO CHICAGO. SOMETIME eee
(EE SUMMER OF 3oe8. HIS LIVE-IN (MARRIED) GIRLFRIEND GAVE BIRTH TO
A DAUGHTER IN PATERSON. IN JUNE 1977, YUGOSLAV CONSULATE GENERAL,
CONSULAR OFFICER TOMISLAV DJORDJEVIC, CONSIDERED TO BE SDB OFFICER
BASED IN NEW YORK, LEARNED FROM THE CHICAGO CONSULATE THAT KAVAJA
AND HIS GROUP OF RADICALS MAY BECOME ACTIVE, AND AS A RESULT WAS
KEEPING CLOSE WATCH ON THEM. IN NOVEMBER 1977, NEW YORK CONSULATE
PPPICIAL PETAR G. ((BOZINOVIC)), ALSO CONSIDERED TO BE SDB, WAS
COLLECTING INFORMATION ON KAVAJA, AND MENTIONED THAT HE HAD BEEN
ADVISED THAT KAVAJA WAS INSTRUCTING EMIGRES ON HOW TO MAKE BOMBS.
py 4 AUGUST 79, AT A MEETING OF YUGOSLAV OFFICIALS AT THE NEW YORK
CONSULATE GENERAL, KAVAJA WAS A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. DJORDJEVIC,
HIS SUCCESSOR (AND SDB OFFICER) NJEGOSLAV ((PANTELIC)), CONSULAR
OFFICER NINO ((KOPAC)), OSMAN ((GASI)}, AND.CONSUL GENERAL VESELIN
({VESKOVIC)) DISCUSSED ACTIVE ANTI-REGIME EMIGRES IN THE AREA.
RIE INDICATED THAT KAVAJA HAD RECENTLY HIJACKED AN AIRPLANE
OMS IDE CHICAGO TO NEW YORK CITY, AND THEN TO SHANNON, IRELAND,
WHERE HE SURRENDERED TO THE IRISH AUTHORITIES. DURING THIS
MEETING, THEY AGREED THAT KAVAJA, WHO WAS AT THE TIME IN A U.S
erlTSON, DESERVED TO BE PUNISHED. DJORDJEVIC DISPLAYED A
SERBO-CROATIAN REPORT ON KAVAJA ENTITLED "WHO ARE THE TERRORISTS ~-
SOPO - END OF ONE CONSPIRACY."

\ F. ONE SOURCE WHO TRAVELED TO YUGOSLAVIA IN APRIL 1981

Bone ao bat INTERVIEWED BY THE SDB. HE WAS ASKED AMONG OTHER

WINGS TO IDENTEFFY-YUGOSLAV_EMIGRES WHO VITSTTED KAVASITS INTIAL
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—————————— | a. --- = eee
IN 1964 GKAVAIR TOLD ONE SOURCE HE IS UNALTERABLY OPPOSED TO
COMMUNISM WHEREVER IT IS FOUND. HE PROFESSED GREAT ADMIRATION FOR
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY BUT FELT THAT MORE THAN MERE WORDS WERE NEEDED
IF AMERICA WAS TO WIN OUT OVER COMMUNISM. GYR) INDICATED THAT
HE WAS A MAN OF ACTION. HE ADDED THAT HE HAS DEDICATED HIMSELF TO
THE ERADICATION OF COMMUNISM AND THAT AN OPPORTUNE TIME, HE WILL
ACQUIRE AND CARRY A PISTOL, AS A PATRIOT, NOT AS A CRIMINAL, FOR
USE AGAINST THE HEAD OF ANY COMMUNIST STATE INCLUDING @ITON
KURUSICEEY RAND} CASTRO, REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES TO HIMSELF
“SR HIS RELATIVES. CRAVAJSQINDICATED THAT IN OCTOBER 1963 HE HAD

STALKED Ctiohar GEw YORE CITY, WILLTAMSBURG, AND WASHINGTON] FOR

*THE PURPOSE OP<ASSASSINATINGSHIM. HE WAS DRESSED IN THE BLACK

CLERICAL GARB OF A PRIEST, AND HE WAS ARMED WITH A .45 CALIBER

PISTOL AND 48 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. HE SAID HE NEARLY_SUCCEEDED
{ IN HIS EFFORT IN WiTLLTAMESURG), BUT WAS THWARTED WHEN (ITO) LEFT THE
AREA BY HELICOPTER RATHER THAN BY CAR. GAVAJA) INDICATED THAT THE
«COMMUNIST PARTY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LATE<PRESIDENT KENNEDY’ S>
* <ASSASSINATION , > Gi WAS ALSO HIS-OPINION THAT ‘UHE
(ES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FREQUENT BLACK RIOTS _IN THE EAST
MENTIONED THAT HE AND HIS ASSOCIATES FELT THAT THE TIME HAD COME
WHEN FORCEFUL AND AFFIRMATIVE STEPS MUST BE TAKEN, IF THE WORLD
WAS TO AVOID A COMPLETE TAKE-OVER BY COMMUNISM.

ZNOTHER SOURCE REPORTED THAT KAVAUR APPEARED TO a
TDTPPERENT"_FROM THE AVERAGE MEMBER OF 2HEUSND, AND BE
PPE HAVE MORE OF AN AGGRESSIVE NATURE. THE SOURCHJ~
INDIC T KAVATEWOULD PROBABLY DO THINGS OTHER PEOPLE WOULL)
Snor_po} NE OCCASION WAYACASCONFIDED TO THE7SOURCE THAT HE HAD
BREEN PAID NEARLY USD 3,000 BY A© AN _ORTHODSZ_EISHOP)TO KILL
C@ITO) THE DEAL INVOLVED HIS KIDNAPPING A FORMER LEADER OF THE
ASTESHT) MOVEMENT RESIDENT IN THE GOSLSNGELES_ARES)TO AVENGE THE
GeRgs KILLED DURING WORLD WAR II BY THECUSTASZI) HOWEVER, HE DID
*Nogf SUCCEED IN THIS<ASSASSINATION>PLAN BECAUSE, WHILE HE WAS
SeekKING OUT THE MAN’S RESIDENCE, HE WAS APPREHENDED BY THE POLICE

AND ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF A HANDGUN.

=>

H. ANOTHER SOURCE REPORTED THAT KAVAJA FREQUENTLY PROMISED
TO COMMIT SOME ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST A COMMUNIST PERSON AND ON
THIS BASIS COLLECTED MONEY FROM THE SERBS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE HE
HAD NOT YET DELIVERED, SERBS IN THE CHICAGO AREA WERE DISENCHANTED
WITH HIM.

\ I. ACCORDING TO ANOTHER SOURCE, KAVAJA WAS DESCRIBED AS AN
OPPORTUNIST, A BULLY, AND AN UNTRUSTWORTHY TYPE OF PERSON WHO WAS
PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN HIMSELF. WITH REGARD TO KAVAJA’S CLAIMS
oF BEING AN ANTI-COMMUNIST, THE SOURCE ADDED THAT HE HAD NO
ANFORMAT ION ON HIS POLITICAL SYMPATHIES, EXCEPT THAT HE WAS
EXTREMELY PREJUDICED AGAINST NON-SERB SLAVS. HE WAS REPORTEDLY
NOT LIKED BY FELLOW SERBS, BUT FEARED BY THEM BECAUSE HE HAD THE
REPUTATION OF BEING A FIGHTER AND ONE WHO USUALLY PICKS ON MEN WHO
BRE EITHER SMALLER OR OLDER THAN HB. HOWEVER, THE SOURCE

TDI GATED | THAT SOME SERBS-VEBWED-KAVATA—AS—A-HERO-

4. ACCORDING TO CIA 823841, DATED _02_SEP_ 84 ,
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RYBAT

MHENOG 4. 97-9265318 SENSIND:

RECE-RVED_A_REQUESL—FROM—A
KAVAJA. THE AUSTRIANS CARRIED SUBJECT AS A TERRORIST WHO MAY TRY
TO DISRUPT THE SARAJEVO OLYMPIC GAMES USING AUSTRIA AS A STAGING
AREA. THEY PLANNED TO ENTER INFORMATION INTO THEIR COMPUTERS AT
BORDER CROSSING POINTS TO ENABLE THEM TO PREVENT KAVAJA FROM

ENTERING YUGOSLAVIA VIA AUSTRIA.

S. ON 31 JUL 93, NVTAG PROVIDED AN ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL
FOR YUGOSLAVIAN TERRORISM IN THE UNITED STATES, WHICH WAS SENT TO

SEVERAL TQHIGHROAD STATIONS. B

THE ASSESSMENT WAS NOT PART OF THE
U.S. TERRORIST THREAT WARNING SYSTEM, BUT JUST INTENDED TO
PROVIDED INFORMATION TO ALL RECIPIENTS. IN THIS ASSESSMENT, NVTAG
EVALUATED THE YUGOSLAVIAN DIPLOMATIC AND NON-OFFICIAL PRESENCE IN
THE UNITED STATES. THE ASSESSMENT MENTIONED KAVAJA AS ONE OF THE
INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE BOMBING OF THE YUGOSLAV EMBASSY IN
WASHINGTON, D.C. KAVAJA WAS ALSO MENTIONED TO BE A MEMBER OF

SOPO.

6. FILE: 201-0764698. CL BY: 2184825, CL REASON: 1.5
(C), DECL ON: Xi, DRV FROM: HUM 4-82.
CABLETYPE: GECO STAFF 4.9.1.>

RELNO: DORELSOL00792925
i

ORT CE/ BOGY EN (XDEBRUCTSAH-0-6) _-AUPH:— DC /CE/BOGYA (D’
Laxeo: CE/TRG(FRREEMAN); REL: C/CE/BOGYA(PIPKIN) .

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